Afield is an adverb meaning 'in or toward a field or open country,' often used metaphorically to mean away from one's usual place or focus. It denotes movement or position at a distance from a central area. In usage, it implies travel, searching, or extending attention outward from a point of reference.
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"The scout walked afield to survey the valley."
"Researchers sent drones afield to map the crop health."
"Her mind strayed afield, away from the meeting’s agenda."
"They pitched their tents afield and settled for the night under stars."
Afield derives from the combination of a- (a prefix meaning 'toward' or 'in a direction') and field, a noun referring to an open land area. The sense evolved in English to convey movement toward or into an open field, with the preposition a- functioning as an adverbial marker (akin to ‘on’ or ‘to’). The earliest uses appear in Middle English, often in agricultural or military contexts where a person or object moves from settlement toward the countryside or battlefield. Over time, afield broadened beyond literal fields to imply outward extension or away from a central point of reference, as in thinking afield or roaming afield. The form and usage became more fixed in Early Modern English, retaining its compact, skyward-imagery sense of distance and exploration. First known written attestations surface in 15th–16th century texts, with subsequent literary and nautical usages preserving the sense of outward movement, exploration, or position at a distance from home base. In contemporary English, afield remains a concise adverbial locator, often found in journalism, scouting, and travel writing, where it succinctly signals movement away from a central location.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "afield" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "afield" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "afield"
-eld sounds
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Pronounce it as ə-field with the primary stress on the second syllable: /əˈfiːld/ in US, UK, and AU. Start with a schwa, then a clear /f/ followed by a long /iː/ (like 'field') and end with a light /ld/ cluster. Tip: avoid elongating the first syllable; keep it quick and unstressed, so the beat falls naturally on the second syllable. Audio reference: you can compare with field and shield to hear the /fiːld/ nucleus.
Common errors include treating it as two stressed syllables (afield) or misplacing stress on the first syllable (aFIELD). Another pitfall is pronouncing /fiː/ as /fɪ/ (short i) or overemphasizing the initial vowel. Correct it by keeping /ə/ in the first syllable (unstressed) and ensuring the nucleus is the long /iː/ in the second syllable, with a clean /ld/ ending.
Across US/UK/AU, the core /ˈfiːld/ portion remains similar, but rhoticity can affect vowel quality slightly in connected speech. US speakers may show a marginally tenser vowel and clearer /r/ influence on surrounding words, while UK and AU varieties often reduce r-coloring in non-rhotic positions. The main distinction is rhythm and intonation, not the core syllable. The /ə/ in the first syllable tends to be a neutral schwa in all three, with minor regional vowel shifts in adjacent words.
The difficulty lies in the short, unstressed first syllable followed by a strong nucleus on /fiːld/ and the final consonant cluster /ld/. Many speakers compress the /ə/ or mispronounce the vowel length of /iː/. The blend of a light schwa, a crisp /f/, and a precise /ld/ requires careful timing and lip/tongue coordination, especially in rapid speech or when blending into adjacent words.
Akey feature is the strong, long nucleus on the second syllable /fiːld/ combined with a minimal first syllable /ə/. Unlike many two-syllable adverbs, afield preserves a clearly stressed second syllable with a clean /ld/ cluster, making the word sound compact yet energetic in emphasis. Maintaining the /ˌ/ or primary stress on the second syllable is essential for naturalness.
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